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Vision: Inspired by Christ, we aspire to excellence in learning, living life fully in community
The mission at St Michael’s is to:
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be a vibrant catholic community where all feel safe, valued, loved and respected
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display understanding, compassion and care for others and all creation
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foster dynamic and diverse learning opportunities
How have we lived our vision lately?
Over the past 2 weeks it has been so obvious to me how, together we are authentically living our Vision and through our daily words and actions we are achieving our mission. The Kinder 2025 playgroups saw parents and future St Michael’s students coming together to start their journey of lifelong friendships. I am excited to see how our new cohort of Kinder students will thrive next year. The Family Parish Mass was a beautiful example of our families being ‘inspired by Christ’ and uniting in prayer and celebration followed by a bbq and social connection, strengthening our bonds with our parish community. I was blown away with the response to Going Green Week, a student-led initiative that had such an impact on raising awareness of our environmental footprint. I want to acknowledge the leadership of Year 3 students, Daisy Deacon and Willow Beatie for rallying a team of Planet Protectors and being the driving force behind the wonderful events during Going Green week. This week saw the end of our 2025 student leadership elections, I was in awe of how responsible all students were in engaging in the process. I would like to congratulate the following 2025 student leadership team and I know they will do an outstanding job leading our wonderful school community.
2025 School Captains
2025 Vision Leaders
2025 House Captains
Supervision at School - SAFETY FIRST
I would like to remind all parents/carers that supervision starts from 8:30am. Students should not be dropped off outside of the school before this time as there are no staff members to supervise them and this is a safety issue. The gates will open at 8:30am and supervision will begin. If you do need supervision for your child/children before 8:30am, we have the OSHC service in our school hall operating from 7:00am to 6:00pm each weekday (excluding Monday mornings). Please contact OSHC if you require this service. Please contact the school if we can support you in any way to ensure this procedure is followed.
Travel Arrangements to and from school - SAFETY FIRST
Student safety is of the utmost importance and we are in the process of reviewing our current Road Management Plan and this includes how students get to and from school. Over the next 2 weeks, you will receive a compass notification asking you to inform us of how your child gets to and from school and who are the named adults you give permission to pick up your child. If your child is to go home from school in an alternative way eg: will walk instead of getting picked up or will go with a friend’s parents instead of their own, it is the parents responsibility to inform the school of this change in travel arrangement. Once teachers have crossed students over the road (walkers and riders), put them on a bus or handed them over to parents/carers either in car lines or in person on the playground, their duty of care ceases. We hope that by parents informing us of the regular travel arrangements, we will ensure that all students are safe when travelling to and from school.
Uniform
I would like to send a timely reminder about our uniform and what and how students wear their uniform to school. Our goal is for all students to wear the correct uniform with pride. This includes the correct socks and shoes, and has appropriate hairstyles. I remind you of our uniform policy and ask that you ensure your child is wearing their uniform correctly. If for any reason your child cannot adhere to the uniform policy, please contact the office so that staff are aware. Staff will be reminding students of the correct uniform on a regular basis. If there are any concerns with this, please feel free to contact the school to discuss further.
Christmas Concert
You are invited to attend the St Michael’s Christmas Concert. We are getting ready for this wonderful community event. Time to get your singing voices ready and bring your Christmas spirit on Thursday 12th December. Gates open at 4:45pm.
Calendar overview
Pupil Free Days
Mrs Amy Sammut
Acting Principal
The Sacraments of First Penance and Communion
Please keep many of our Year 2 students in your prayers as they prepare for these two significant sacraments.
Students will receive the sacrament Communion over the weekends of 30 November, 1 December, 7 and 8 December
Welcome to the children who will participate fully in the Eucharist for the first time, by receiving Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ.
St Michael’s Family Parish Mass
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your participation in our first Family Mass. It was truly overwhelming to see our parish church filled with smiles, laughter, and vibrant conversation, creating a sense of unity and joy that was palpable throughout the entire gathering.
A special thank you goes out to everyone who offered support before and during the event—your efforts did not go unnoticed. From setting up to welcoming families, your dedication helped make this Mass a beautiful celebration of faith and community.
This event was a wonderful exemplification of our school’s vision: “Inspired by Christ, we aspire to excellence in learning, living fully in community.” Together, we demonstrated how our faith can guide us in nurturing strong relationships and fostering a supportive environment for all.
As we reflect on the success of the Family Mass, let us carry this spirit of community forward. I encourage you to stay connected with one another and continue to share in each other’s lives through prayer, fellowship, and service. Our parish thrives when we support one another and grow as a united family in Christ.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue hosting events that strengthen our bonds and engage the entire parish community.
Thank you once again for your participation and dedication. Together, let us continue to inspire one another and spread the love of Christ in all that we do.
What’s happening in our Parish:
Mrs Ronelle Peardon
Religious Education Coordinator
Semester 2 Reports: Student academic reports for Kindergarten to Year 6 will be available on Compass on Friday, 13th December. A notification will be sent through Compass once the reports are visible on your child’s profile.
The Semester 2 reports for Years 1-6 provide a reflection of each student’s achievement levels, assessing their knowledge and skills against the NSW syllabus outcomes. Grades are assigned using the Common Grade Scale. Please note that a C grade indicates a sound level of achievement, meaning the student is meeting the expected outcomes. Descriptions of the Common Grade Scale are provided below for your reference.
Kindergarten students will receive an ungraded report that demonstrates their learning through the descriptors: Basic, Sound, and Thorough. This approach highlights their progress and achievements in all Key Learning Areas.
Optional Parent Teacher Interviews: In Week 10 optional parent-teacher interviews will be offered for any parents wishing to discuss their child’s report. If you wish to book an appointment to meet with your child’s classroom teacher, please contact them via the school email: info@smtdow.catholic.edu.au
Kindergarten 2025: In preparation for Kindergarten 2025, we have thoroughly enjoyed six delightful playgroup sessions filled with laughter, creativity, and budding friendships. The Kindergarten 2025 children have embraced meeting new friends, learning to play, communicate, and share while having fun together. Each session has offered exciting opportunities for exploration, joy, and learning, all alongside their new classmates and their amazing Year 4 buddies.
Mrs. Kelly’s captivating storytime has sparked the children’s imaginations, while engaging puppet shows have brought characters to life. During art time, the children have created unique and beautiful masterpieces. They’ve also learned to listen to the Cleanup Song, eagerly packing away and taking pride in keeping their space tidy.
To further support both new and current families, we’ve hosted parent workshops facilitated by Catholic Care. These sessions, focusing on Resilience and Anxiety, have provided valuable strategies for navigating challenges that children may encounter.
We are thrilled to welcome these wonderful new students and their families to our vibrant school community in 2025.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS NEWS
Our SAG team have been working tirelessly in their high vis vests to find the class/classes that are following our new Respect Focus: When the whistle is about to be blown, Level zero is the tone!
We have seen a huge improvement in the way our students are lining up and getting ready for the whistle. Congratulations to the following classes: Year 1 (have won twice), Year 4 and Year 6 who have been successful in winning the reward of either a class mufti day or 15 minutes extra play.
Waste Free Wednesday update
The Waste Free Wednesday Week 4 data:
Kinder: 88%
Year 1: 76%
Year 2: 33%
Year 3: 93%
Year 4: 60%
Year 5: 95%
Year 6: 15%
So the gold Waste Free Wednesday winners are: Year 5
And the silver Waste Free Wednesday winners are: Year 3
Week 4 was also magic round. Congratulations to Sabrina S in Year One and Elliot O in Year 4 who were the winners of the bento boxes.
The Waste Free Wednesday Week 5 data:
Kindergarten: 83%
Year One: 70%
Year Two: 58%
Year Three: 79%
Year Four: 63%
Year Five: 90%
Year Six: 86%
So the Gold Waste Free Warriors for Week 5 are: Year 5
and the Silver Waste Free Warriors for Week 5 are: Year 6
Diverse Learning Update
This term, Years 3–6 teachers have embraced tiered tasks, guided by Bloom’s Taxonomy, to meet the diverse learning needs of students across various Key Learning Areas. This approach has encouraged deeper engagement with content while building critical and creative thinking skills. By offering tasks with varying levels of complexity, students have explored real-world issues, strengthened problem-solving abilities, and gained a richer understanding of their units of work.
In English, tiered tasks have supported higher-level thinking during comprehension activities linked to mentor texts. In History, students studied topics like the First Fleet, while in Science, they explored concepts such as elasticity and the Ice Age. In Religious Education, students learned about prayer and its connection to real-world issues, deepening their understanding of faith and spirituality. The flexibility of this approach has allowed students to work at their own pace, with many challenging themselves to take on more advanced tasks, fostering independence and self-directed learning.
Teachers have noted the effectiveness of tiered tasks in differentiating instruction and encouraging meaningful learning connections. Some refinements, like adding more examples or clearer instructions, have been identified, but the overall impact has been overwhelmingly positive, promoting engagement, creativity, and critical thinking.
Students have shown remarkable progress, demonstrating greater curiosity and independent thinking. Moving forward, we aim to enhance this approach by providing additional scaffolding to ensure all students are appropriately challenged and supported.
We’re excited to continue refining these practices to enrich our students’ learning experiences.
Here are some of our Year 4 students engaging in a tiered task about prayer!
Mrs Chelsea McLeod
Diverse Learning Coordinator - High Potential and Gifted Students
Improving Writing update
Our dedicated teachers have been working diligently to enhance writing instruction across all grade levels through the use of quality literature mentor texts and the implementation of the Writer’s Workshop model. This model emphasises the writing process while fostering creativity and self-expression, especially through the use of their Writer’s Notebooks (2-6). Students are using their notebooks to record ideas, reflections, and drafts, which has led to an increased level of engagement in the writing process. One of the highlights has been the use of the Author's Chair where students share their work with peers, celebrate each other’s progress, and offer constructive feedback.In addition, teachers are focusing on strengthening sentence-level grammar skills, helping students build a solid foundation in writing mechanics.This is helping to build confidence in our young writers and inspiring a deeper connection to their work. As a collective, we have seen amazing growth from our students this term and we are excited to see how these strategies continue to support and inspire our students as they develop their writing skills. To see some fabulous writing samples from each grade click the link:
We love seeing our students so engaged and proud with their writing, such as our Kindergarten and Year 1 students below.
Mrs Pamela Cheetham
St Michael’s School Social Media
With so much going on at school, a great way to follow any up and coming events and read about the great things that are happening, please follow us on:
Instagram- stmichaels.thirroul or Facebook-St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Thirroul.
2024 / 2025 - SPORTING EVENTS AND DATES
Upcoming dates for your 2025 “Sports Diary”
- St Michael’s Swimming Trials and Water Fun Day - Wednesday 12th February 2025
Congratulations Abby S And Eliza D!
In Week 3, Abby and Eliza had the privilege of travelling to Bathurst to represent the MacKillop cricket team at the PSSA State Cricket Championships. Over the course of four days, they participated in multiple matches, showcasing their skill and dedication. Their efforts culminated in a remarkable achievement as they proudly returned home with a silver medal.
This incredible experience not only brought them success on the field but also allowed them to develop new skills and forge lasting friendships. Congratulations to Abby and Eliza on this outstanding accomplishment!
27th CDF Sports Awards
On the evening of Friday, 15th November, four of our exceptional students were honoured for their exemplary sportsmanship at this year’s CDF Sports Awards. As a school community, we will formally acknowledge and celebrate their remarkable achievements during Monday morning’s assembly.
We extend our congratulations to Harley S and Abby S, recipients of the prestigious Primary Red Medallions, and to Lila H and Annabel C, who were awarded the esteemed Sports Council Medallion.
The St Michael’s community is immensely proud of your success and commends you on this well-deserved recognition.
Student Extracurricular Sporting Achievements
Congratulations to the following students, we are proud of your achievements!
Van C participated in the annual Corrimal Swim Club Carnival on Saturday, 9 November, delivering an exceptional performance by achieving personal best times and securing placements across multiple events. Congratulations to Van on this remarkable achievement!
Congratulations to Lila H on her recent sporting achievements! Over the past few weeks, Lila has been selected for several representative teams, including the Wollongong Devils U14 Girls Touch team, the Wollongong Redbacks U13 Girls Oztag team, and the Illawarra Surf Life Saving Team U12 Girls Beach. Earlier this year, Lila also represented the Illawarra U14 Girls Rugby 7s Team at the NSW State Youth Championships, where her team triumphed as state champions! Her dedication, sportsmanship, are an inspiration. Well done, Lila!
We invite all our families to share their child/children’s sporting and extracurricular achievements outside of school, so we can share in their success as a whole school community through our School Newsletter.
If you require any further information about sporting events at St Michael’s please contact Mrs Campbell.
Mrs Danielle Campbell
Sports Coordinator
Congratulations to the following students who received awards at previous assemblies:
Principals Award
Enzo G
Aria G
Tye F
Jayden G
Georgia C
St Michael's Blue
Monte H
P&F update
I would like to express my gratitude to our P and F team for their commitment to creating a vibrant community where all can learn and thrive. Our last P and F meeting for 2024 took place on Friday in Week 4. At this meeting we discussed the following:
- Year 6 graduation and P and F supporting this memorable event by donating the decorations and graduation cake. A huge thank you to Year 5 parent reps, Nicole Brain and Alexa Marciano for their support, energy and generosity of time towards this event.
- The landscaping plan for the outdoor learning space/ninja playground. Thank you James Horan for sharing your expertise with the team and designing the plan for our outdoor space. We are currently getting quotes to hopefully start stage 1 of the landscaping.
- Front garden beds- we are about to beautify our front garden beds by taking out old plants and replacing them with flowering natives. Thank you Matt Watts for sharing your expertise with us, donating some of the plants and helping plant the plants. All are welcome to help with the planting at 4:00pm-5:30pm on Wednesday 4th December, please bring gloves and tools.
- Christmas Concert - the P and F will be selling drinks and glo sticks at our Christmas concert and I am sworn to secrecy and cannot share any further details about a performance that the parents may (or may not) be planning.
Mrs Amy Sammut
Disabled Surfers Association – Thirroul, 30 November
The annual Disabled Surfers Association even will take place a Thirroul Beach on Saturday, 30 November, commencing at 08:30 and continuing until 13:00. The Disabled Surfers Association provides an environment for individuals with a disability, the opportunity to experience the freedom of surfing with friends, using up to date equipment to get individuals over the sand and into the water with dignity. The organisation on the South Coast and Illawarra has been established for over 30 Years and prides itself on their achievements and advancements in the area of disability.
The organisation operates on a volunteer basis and requires volunteers to provide the necessary numbers to establish the safety requirements, that we as an organisation hold. The event is designed to ensure the safety of all individuals, be they participants or volunteers. The core role is to ensure that the participants have an exciting day on the beach. The organisation does not have any restrictions in relation to the individuals who attend and participate. We strive to ensure that all participants get the opportunity to experience the day at the beach.
Age is no barrier to volunteer and there is no requirement to know how to swim but it does help at times. No surfing experience required as there is supervision on the beach for all activities.
All participants and volunteers will receive a sausage sandwich on the day of the event.
Just turn up on Saturday, 30 November at Thirroul or to register as a participant or as a volunteer, go to
https://events.humanitix.com/disabled-surfers-association-hands-on-surf-day-thirroul-2024/tickets?hxchl=hex-pfl
